1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for imprinting a strip or labels adhering to a strip, in which the strip is unwound from a supply roll and supplied to a printing unit, the supply roll being held by a receiving device and the printing unit can be opened for loading a strip and closed for imprinting the strip or labels adhering to the strip.
2. Prior Art
Printers, as they are typically used in the field of price marking, contain, among other things, a receiving device for the ticket roll (supply roll), which is a flat strip with or without labels adhering thereto, a printing unit, a paper winding device, and an assembly for using thermal transfer film. In order to make the loading of the current ticket roll as simple as possible, the printing unit is typically provided with an opening mechanism. The related art is to open the printing unit through intentional actuation of an actuator, in order to load and/or replace the ticket roll with or without labels. To load the ticket roll, it is placed on an assigned receiving device and possibly fixed there. A specific starting length of the flat strip which forms the ticket roll is guided through the printing unit and attached to a winding device. The winding device may contain a mechanism which simplifies the removal of the flat strip wound thereon. Before the printing procedure may begin, the printing unit must be closed.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type initially cited, with which the loading and/or changing of a flat strip, with or without labels adhering thereto, is possible in a comfortable way.
This object in achieved by a device having the features disclosed herein. Preferred are advantageous embodiments of the present invention are also disclosed.
This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the present invention are specified in the subclaims.
The present invention is thus essentially that the printing unit of the device is provided with an automatic actuating device which automatically opens the printing unit as a function of a signal, and a holding device, which secures the supply roll on the receiving device during the printing procedure, is automatically actuated by the automatic actuating device or another automatic actuating device as a function of the said signal or another signal, so that the holding device releases the supply roll.
With the device according to the present invention, the strip wound on a supply roll may therefore be placed and/or replaced on the receiving device and the strip may be loaded through the printing unit up to the winding device and fixed easily and comfortably.
The signal which causes the automatic opening of the printing unit and/or the automatic actuation of the holding device to release the supply roll may be generated in various ways. According to a preferred embodiment, the signal is generated using a measurement device which detects the end of the strip and/or using a device which calculates the end of the strip. The measurement device for detecting the end of the strip may preferably have a switch, a touch element, a magnetic sensor, and/or a light barrier in this case.
A further preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention is that the signal which causes the automatic opening of the printing unit or the automatic actuation of the holding device to release the supply roll is transmitted wirelessly and/or via optical fiber to the respective automatic actuating device. The respective automatic actuating device may preferably be implemented as an electromechanical, electromagnetic, or pneumatic actuating device in this case.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device according to the present invention may be implemented in such a way that the automatic opening of the printing unit and the automatic actuation of the holding device to release the supply roll occur at different times. The time delay with which the automatic actuation of the holding device to release the supply roll follows the automatic opening of the printing unit may be fixed or adjustable.
Furthermore, the device according to the present invention may also have a winding device for winding the strip coming out of the printing unit, which is provided with a mechanism for removing the wound strip and with a sensor which detects the position of the mechanism for removing the wound strip. For such an embodiment, the sensor preferably generates the signal which causes the automatic opening of the printing unit or the automatic actuation of the holding device to release the supply roll when the mechanism for removing the wound strip is in a position which is provided for removing the wound strip. Alternatively, leaving the starting position, i.e., the position which is provided for the winding of the strip, may be used for signal generation. All active and passive sensors, as well as switches and/or pneumatic valves, may be used as sensors in this case.
The manipulations of the operator of the device according to the present invention may be reduced to minimum if this device also includes a measurement device which detects the placement of a supply roll on the receiving device and proper loading of the strip and which, in the event of a supply roll positioned on the receiving device and a properly loaded strip, generates a signal which causes automatic actuation of the holding device to secure the supply roll on the receiving device and automatic closing of the printing unit. In this way, the initial loading of a strip and the replacement of a supply roll are optimally supported by the device according to the present invention. The automatic actuation of the holding device to secure the supply roll on the receiving device and the automatic closing of the printing unit may also occur at different times in this case.
After the automatic actuation of the holding device to secure the supply roll, the latter is therefore mechanically fixed, however, it may possibly not yet be optimally seated at the intended position. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the present invention, a device for automatic alignment of the supply roll on the receiving device is therefore provided. The alignment of the supply roll may advantageously be performed using an electromechanical, electromagnetic, or pneumatic actuating device in this case. A control device of this type may preferably also be used for the automatic closing of the printing unit.
A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the present invention is that the printing unit is assigned a device for automatic positioning of labels adhering to the band strip in relation to the printing unit.